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Crow Double-Cutout Batwing Pipe Tomahawk c. 1880

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:4,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
Crow Double-Cutout Batwing Pipe Tomahawk c. 1880
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This is an excellent Plains Indian Pipe Tomahawk with rare “Double Batwing” cut outs in the blade attributed to the Crow Native American Indians and dated to circa 1880. The Pipe Tomahawk features a 9 inch long hand-forged iron head showing the “Double Batwing” cutouts with diamond shaped haft eye hole, a rear facing spur, raised neck, forged chevrons, and turned like forged double decorative edge rings around the top and bottom of the bowl. The tomahawk shows a solid ash wood haft adorned with trade solid brass tacks in two different sizes totaling 129. The wood haft/handle shows three pierced areas originally crafted into the piece with a wrist throng or beaded drop in mind. The tomahawk does haft a later manufacture excellently beaded traditional large triangular shaped beaded drop showing the typical Crow stylings and colors. The beaded drop, most likely earlier, but not original to the piece, shows an Indian tanned hide construction with yellow ocher dyed edge and a wonderful geometric Crow pattern with long mineral dyed Indian tanned hide fringe measuring a total of 23 inches long. The drop does shows some discoloration and some drying of the fringes due to age and use. The pipe tomahawk forged head is adhered to the wood haft with the original leather gasket still intact along with eight brass tacks. The head shows signs of early like patina with an unusual clean like appearance. The Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institute shows a double batwing pipe tomahawk with the same ultra clean patina head, as shown by the included photograph from their photo gallery for comparison. Ther are less than 30 known authentic double batwing / double cutout pipe tomahawks in any museums or private collections. These tomahawks rarely come up for public sale making them a very scarce and unique American Indian collectible. Cowan’s Auctions offered a Southern Plains Style Pipe Tomahawk with Inlay and Double-Cutout in their 4/5/2013 sale attributed to circa 1870 and sold for an astounding $42,000. A similar tomahawk is photographed in Hartzler and Knowles Indian Tomahawks and Frontiersmen Belt Axes (1991 figure 60). Other authentic examples have been offered by Manitou Galleries, Bonhams, Auction in Santa Fe, along with an example being showing in a publication by Gary Hendershott. The tomahawk measures 9" x 17.25" x 1.5”. The beaded drop measures 5" x 23".